Code of Student Community Standards

1. Humber Community Rights and Responsibilities

1.1 All Community Members have the Right to:

• A safe and welcoming living and learning environment.
• The rights and freedoms as recognized by municipal, provincial, and federal laws.
• Be protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code as well as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. These rights are subject to limitations as described by law and some activities (rights) that are acceptable in a public place may not be appropriate in certain contexts in an institution of higher education.
• Reasonable accommodations related to disability and other Human Rights Code grounds (i.e., creed, family status, gender identity, etc.) that respect the dignity of individuals, meet individual needs, maintain confidentiality whenever possible, and promote integration and full participation.
• Privacy as afforded by federal and provincial legislation.
• File a complaint, in good faith, under this Code or any other Humber Policy.
• Feel safe to make a complaint under this Code without fear of reprisal or retaliation.
• Procedural fairness in the exploration and determination of responsibility as it relates to the Code process. These rights include:
  
  • The right to a fair process including being made aware of and given an opportunity to respond to, correct, or contradict any information available, in person/virtual meeting and/or in writing.
  • The right to reasons; a rationale for any decisions made under this Policy.
  • The right to request an appeal based on the conditions explained in Section 5.
  • The right to have an advisor and/or support person of their choice accompany them at any stage of the process, if desired.
• Have input into the resolution pathway that feels appropriate and best for them.

1.2 All Community Members have the Responsibility to:

• Conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with the core values embraced by the Humber community and reflected in its various codes and policies (i.e., courage, innovation, equity, health & well-being, and sustainability).
• Be aware of policies, codes, and laws of the land that guide expectations of conduct. Individual accountability is essential to the student experience and the Code. Ignorance, anger, alcohol, or substance use will not excuse misconduct.
• Ensure that their guests are aware of the expectations and conduct themselves accordingly while on campus or at an affiliated event at which this Code applies.
• Provide truthful information when filing a complaint or participating in a Code process.
• Report incidents when there may be a risk of harm, an impact to the dignity of any community member, or damage to property. Community members may inform any staff or faculty member of an incident, and they in turn will provide the information to the appropriate party, usually the Department of Public Safety.
• To act in a manner which does not compromise their safety or endanger the health and safety of others.
• Take reasonable steps to prevent a problem situation from occurring or, if it occurs, to prevent it from escalating to a more serious level.
• Utilize informal resolution pathways when possible to do so (e.g., address the behaviour directly with the other student). Where this expectation is violated or not possible, a community member has the right to engage a formal process.

All community members are encouraged to call a Humber official and/or medical professional for assistance for themselves or for community members who are dangerously under the influence of drugs or alcohol or affected by violence. No student seeking medical assistance for themselves or others for the above will be subject to discipline. Support and harm reduction strategies will be provided to the student(s).

2. The Roles & Responsibilities of Campus Partners

Academic Faculties

Faculty and staff will take reasonable steps to address student behaviour within an academic setting, with the student or group of students involved. These steps may include:

• Setting clear expectations and boundaries regarding communication (e.g., email etiquette, response time, office hours, etc.).
• Addressing the student(s) by asking them to stop the behaviour and return to the academic task.
• After the request has been made, and should the behaviour continue, staff or faculty may ask a student(s) to leave an area to deescalate the situation. The staff/faculty should follow up with the student at a later time to discuss the incident.
• Addressing a concern or trend in behaviour with the entire class/lab/etc. (e.g., disruptions, inappropriate language, etc.).
• Clarifying expectations for engaging in the specific academic setting (i.e., classroom, lab, academic office, etc.).
• An administrative staff member, typically the Associate Dean/Program Chair, following a meeting with the student(s) to better understand the situation, may issue a written warning outlining the need for corrective action regarding specific behaviour(s), the impact of such behaviour(s), and may identify necessary next steps for the student(s).

A situation may be referred to the Office of Student Community Standards for assistance with resolution options when the above resolution options are not successful or for an incident(s) that requires additional follow up or exploration.

Incidents involving academic integrity will be referred to procedures outlined in the Academic Regulations (Humber Polytechnic) or the Academic Calendar (University of Guelph-Humber).

Coordinate, Assess, Respond, Educate (CARE) Team

The CARE Team is a multidisciplinary group of staff that addresses student behaviour concerns through assessment, engagement, and outreach to maintain a safe and supportive environment for the Humber community. The ultimate goal of coordinated care is to improve student engagement, persistence, success, retention, and wellbeing outcomes by ensuring that care from a variety of practitioners is delivered synchronously to support the whole student, rather than in silos. Coordinated care then allows a student to clearly navigate their path to health and wellness by accessing identified students, where possible and/or appropriate. Where concerns are raised and/or patterns of behaviour are identified, the CARE Team operates on behalf of Humber to engage the student(s) in processes to assess their ability to engage effectively in a post-secondary setting, taking into account their emotional, physical, and psychological wellbeing, and to mitigate risk and impact on the Humber community.

Department of Public Safety (Security)

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) strives to create the safest campus experience in Canada by providing a wide breadth of comprehensive services and programs. DPS is dedicated to ensuring all students, staff, and visitors have a safe and welcoming experience at Humber by upholding policies, addressing situations where any member of the community may be at risk of harm, deescalating conflict situations, responding to campus emergencies, and supporting requests for medical assistance, to name a few. The DPS works closely with the CARE Team and facilitates any required threat/risk assessments to mitigate risk to the Humber community.

The Department of Public Safety, when addressing a situation where individuals are engaging in behaviour that is contrary to Humber policies or laws of the land, may ask individuals to leave campus. This is determined based on level of risk/threat to the Humber community and according to established procedures. The DPS may require individuals to provide identification in these circumstances and may ask individuals to leave campus who refuse to provide proper identification. This is done in an effort to protect the safety and wellbeing of the Humber community.

If made aware by formal authorities or shared by the respective student, Humber will uphold any legal conditions or terms placed on a community member by law enforcement authorities.

Office of Student Community Standards

The Office of Student Community Standards (OSCS) promotes the rights, well-being, and safety of community members. Within the scope of the Code, the OSCS is also responsible for the exploration and resolution of incidents using the spectrum of resolution pathways available as detailed in the Community Standards Procedures document. Where possible, the goal of the exploration and resolution will be to facilitate a learning/developmental opportunity for the student, support taking accountability for one’s actions, provide an opportunity to acknowledge and repair harm, and reinforce the core values of Humber.

People(s) and Culture (Human Resources)

The role of People(s) and Culture is to provide support and guidance to employees, including student employees, on matters related to employment and/or workplace accommodation. They may be consulted in cases where the complainant and/or respondent is an employee, and the alleged behaviour(s) has an impact on the workplace.

Residence Life

Residence Life works to create and foster an inclusive and welcoming space for all residents, and to educate students on their rights and responsibilities. Resident Assistants live in the Residence communities and provide educational programming, guidance, and support for Resident Students. They work to educate about and uphold the Code of Student Community Standards primarily acting as a first responder and documenting concerns brought forward by residents. The Community Standards process is supported by Residence Community Assistants, Residence Life Coordinators, and the Manager, Residence Life. Within the scope of the RCCS, Residence Life is responsible for the exploration and resolution of Residence incidents using the spectrum of resolution pathways available as detailed in the Code Procedures document. Using an educational and harm-reduction approach, Residence Life aims to create a community space that is safe for all Residents.

Residence Operations

Residence Operations supports several areas within the Residence Buildings including Residence Admissions, Residence Front Desk & Summer Operations, and Residence Facilities/Housekeeping. These teams work collaboratively with Residence Life to ensure a seamless Residence experience for students from application, move-in, living in Residence, through to move-out. The staff may share information with Residence Life related to Resident support matters and/or Community Standards concerns. The Senior members of the Residence Operations Team participate in a shared on-call rotation with the Manager, Residence Life, and may be consulted about or attend serious incidents that occur in Residence and have the ability to implement Interim Measures as needed.

The Conflict Resolution Centre

The Conflict Resolution Centre offers guidance, strategies, and coaching on how to address conflict with others. Representatives from Humber’s Alternative Dispute Resolution postgraduate program are available to listen and assist in resolving peer-to-peer based conflicts and offer mediation services.

The Office of Human Rights & Harassment (OHH)

Humber is committed to fostering a learning, working, and living environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. Humber has the right, as well as the legal and moral responsibility, to ensure that all community members are treated fairly, equitably, and respectfully. The OHH provides programs and services related to discrimination and harassment based on any of the 17 prohibited grounds identified in the Ontario Human Rights Code and Humber’s Human Rights & Harassment Policy, as well as workplace harassment (personal/psychological harassment and sexual harassment) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. If a student has experienced harassment and/or discrimination by an employee or non-student, they are encouraged to engage the OHH by contacting humanrights@humber.ca. If a student has experienced harassment and/or discrimination by another student(s), they are encouraged to engage the Office of Student Community Standards by emailing OSCS@humber.ca.

The University of Guelph-Humber

The University of Guelph-Humber (UofGH) students are expected to be aware of and abide by all non-academic policies of Humber Polytechnic, including this policy. The Office of Student Community Standards (OSCS) maintains a strong working relationship with UofGH’s department of Student Services, and both are committed to working collaboratively to resolve student conflicts and concerns.

3. Behaviours Contradicting Community Values

The purpose of the Code is to define the responsibility of all students to act in a manner that respects the rights, safety, and well-being of others and the Humber community. Below is a list of behaviours that do not align with the community values and as such violates the Code of Student Community Standards. This list is not intended to be exhaustive or exclusive. For Residence specific behaviours that contradict community values, please refer to Appendix A.

3.1 Incidents below have a limited impact on the rights or academic experience of others, but may create a disturbance or impact the operation of the campus community. Such incidents include, but are not limited to:

1. Smoking tobacco, cannabis, or other substance including the use of all types of
   e-cigarettes, vaping, or any other device used to emulate the act of smoking.
2. Disruptive behaviour; defined as creating a disturbance in a public place such as unreasonable noise or non-threatening behaviour and/or preventing others from carrying out their legitimate activities, in or out of an academic setting.
3. Disorderly or indecent conduct.
4. Failure to properly address/manage the conduct of a visitor you welcomed to campus.
5. Failure to comply with a resolution outcome/sanction imposed by the Code, other policy or regulation recognized by Humber.

3.2 Incidents below have a significant impact on the rights or academic experience of others, the campus community, and/or property. Such incidents include, but are not limited to:

1. Unauthorized entry, use, or use for reasons other than intended or generally accepted, of Humber facilities or equipment.
2. Theft or damage to property not belonging to the respondent.
3. Not complying with the directions of or providing false information to a Humber official (e.g., during a critical/emergency incident, when participating in or witness to an incident), including Public Safety Guards (Security), acting in their capacity as an employee.
4. Assisting or failing to reasonably respond/intervene to anyone engaged in inappropriate behaviour.
5. Misrepresentation associated with institutional processes or activities (e.g., pretending to be a Humber employee/official, coordinating/running an event without proper authorization, etc.).
6. Contravention of The Liquor License Act of Ontario or The Cannabis Control Act (Ontario).
7. Making false allegations and/or engaging in reprisal under the Code.

3.3 Incidents below have a significant impact on the rights or academic experience of others and pose a threat or danger to individuals in the community. Such incidents include, but are not limited to:

1. Conduct, including bullying or coercion, which threatens the health and safety of anyone, including oneself.
2. Hazing – activities endangering or seeming to endanger the mental or physical health and safety of individuals for the purpose of initiation, admission into or affiliation with any campus club, group, team or organization.
3. Unauthorized use, recording of, or dissemination of information, including audio, visual or digital content or images of an individual that is unwelcome and/or known or ought reasonably to be known to cause harm or distress.
4. Obtaining, accessing, or disclosing personal or confidential information pertaining to a member of the community without that person’s consent.

3.4 Incidents below pose a danger or threat to individuals, are in many cases illegal, and in most cases cause physical or psychological harm. Such incidents include, but are not limited to:

1. Sexual assault/violence as defined in the Sexual Violence Policy.
2. Assault, threats of harm or intimidation, inciting or facilitating acts of violence.
3. Harassment or discrimination against an individual or group based on any of the prohibited grounds: race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed (religion), sex, sexual orientation, age, record of offenses (in employment only), marital status, family status, disability, gender identity, gender expression, or receipt of public assistance (in accommodation only).
4. Speech or expression which constitutes harassment, a threat, or hate speech.
5. Tampering with emergency facilities including life safety, fire equipment, or alarms.
6. Intentionally creating hazardous conditions that put the community at risk (e.g., relocation/removal of safety signage, pranks, physical confrontations, etc.).
7. Possession (with or without intent to distribute), use, and/or distribution of illegal drugs, controlled substances, non-prescription drugs, and/or prescription drugs not prescribed to the person in possession of these drugs.
8. Possession of firearms, dangerous weapons, replicas and/or toys, or chemicals not expressly authorized by Humber or otherwise a part of an academic program.
9. Misuse of or possession of dangerous objects and substances without express written permission by the Department of Public Safety.
10. Forgery, misuse, duplication or alteration of any document, record, or Humber brand for the purpose of personal, monetary, or academic gain.
11. Failure to comply with a law enforcement officer or to requirements imposed by law related to Humber participation.

4. Resolution Outcomes (Sanctions)

Resolution outcomes, or sanctions, are intended to be educational and provide an opportunity for the Respondent to reflect, acknowledge the impact of their behaviour (intended or not), and learn from the experience so they can make different choices in the future. A number of factors are considered when determining appropriate resolution outcomes/sanctions including the input of the Complainant and Respondent, the impact of the behaviour on others and/or the community, taking accountability for behaviours, willingness to repair the harm done to others/the community, and the educational needs of the Respondent to support different behaviour choices in the future.

4.1 Outcomes Assigned through Restorative Justice or Adjudication

1. Written Warning: An official letter indicating that a student has been found responsible for prohibited conduct while highlighting the need for awareness, caution or corrective action.
2. Apology: In an effort to help restore the harm done, students may choose to apologize to the impacted party/parties.
3. Developmental/Educational Initiatives: Participation in developmental opportunities, awareness, health or safety programs, coaching; reflective learning or personal success exercises; projects, seminars, and/or other assignments.
4. Community Involvement: Community service to the institution or to the larger community; engagement through co-curricular involvement.
5. Restitution: Compensation (monetary or material replacement) for loss of or damage to property or services rendered. The amount of restitution will be placed on the student’s account and can be paid using MyHumber or, in the case of a Guelph-Humber student, WebAdvisor. In Residence, this may include community billing for property damage/vandalism in common spaces where the responsible person(s) are not identified; restitution may be charged to every Resident Student or a specific section of the Residence.
6. Support Agreement: A description of mutually agreed upon terms whereby the student chooses to engage, with set parameters, in the support services offered by the institution.
7. Loss of Privileges/Non-essential Services: Privileges are those that if restricted may affect full participation in Residence or campus life but not make it impossible to complete academic requirements. For example, the ability to host guests in Residence, access lounge spaces in Residence, attend Residence events, attend campus other than for scheduled classes, loss of recognition from an organized club, team or organization, suspension/removal from activities including varsity sports.
8. Registration Holds: A hold placed on a student’s account prohibiting access to Humber/UofGH or course registration process and can impact a student’s ability to access grades. Holds may be placed on accounts until students complete requirements agreed to or assigned through this process.
9. Restriction: A ban or trespass notice from a specified area of Residence and/or campus (e.g., Residence floor, athletic facilities, etc.) or campus as a whole, for a designated period of time. This also applies to Residence eligibility where the student is not permitted to live in Residence in subsequent terms. Conditions for readmission to Residence may also be specified.
10. Residence Relocation: A resident may be relocated to another unit and/or building in order to mitigate ongoing impacts to the community.
11. Community Standards Probation: A period of time where the student is given the opportunity to modify unacceptable behaviour, to complete specific assignments, and to demonstrate a positive contribution to the community. After two consecutive terms of being placed on Probation, the student may apply for a review of the probationary status by emailing reslife@humber.ca (if the Probation was assigned in Residence) or OSCS@humber.ca. The student will meet with a Resolution Coordinator to discuss what they have learned, how they have demonstrated a change in their behaviour, and how they will positively contribute to the community moving forward. The Resolution Coordinator will communicate in writing if the student’s status will be adjusted, providing reasons, within ten (10) business days of the meeting. The decision of the Resolution Coordinator is final and not subject to appeal.
12. No Contact Directive: Direct and Indirect contact with a specified community member is not permitted. Contact includes in-person, email correspondence, phone calls, text messages, social media posts, BlackBoard/CourseLink, and third-party contact.
13. Eviction from Residence: The cancellation of a Resident student’s Residence and Dining Agreement/Humber Residence Agreement and requirement to move out of Residence immediately. Terms and conditions will be included in the Decision Letter issued to the student. Students who are evicted from Residence may also:
    • Be restricted from the Residence property and/or Humber Polytechnic properties.
    • Forfeit their eligibility to live in Residence in subsequent terms.
    • Be responsible for their Residence fees for the duration of the initial contract.
    • Be asked to leave Residence immediately and make arrangements to return at a later time to collect their belongings.
14. Any other resolution outcome/sanction deemed appropriate in the circumstances, excluding those in section 4.2.

4.2 Outcomes Assigned through Administrative Conference:

The following outcomes may only be assigned by an Administrator following an Administrative Conference or review of the Exploration Report (if the Respondent has waived their right to an Administrative Conference). These outcomes also require approval of the Associate Vice-President Learner & Career Success and Dean of Students, or designate. These outcomes are intended to be educational and also provide an opportunity for reflection, along with mitigating risk and protecting the safety and wellbeing of the Humber community and its members.

1. Single/multiple course de-registration including partial or total loss of marks for the course(s).
2. Program de-registration for a period of up to two (2) years from the date of outcome letter, whereby a student may no longer register for courses and/or program(s), typically involving professional standards and/or vulnerable populations. The student is required to have their program selection vetted and approved by the Office of Student Community Standards moving forward.
3. Cancellation of Humber awards or Humber funded scholarships or bursaries.
4. Short-term separation from the institution for a period of up to two (2) years. The student will not be permitted to register and will retain none of the privileges given to students. This may result in a notation on a student’s academic record and transcript. This notation will be expunged from the student’s record and transcript upon graduation or following the separation period.
5. Permanent separation from the institution. The student will be denied registration in any further course/program and will retain none of the privileges given to students. This will result in a permanent notation on the student’s academic record and official transcript. The record is permanent, unless a student makes a request to the Academic Appeals Committee to have the record expunged from their academic record no sooner than five (5) years after the date of the separation.
6. Rescinding a credential following graduation, or after having a credential conferred.
7. Any other resolution outcome/sanction deemed appropriate in the circumstances.

NOTE: Students who have been separated from the institution will not receive credit for any studies undertaken during the semester that it was assigned. Before applying to return to study, terms and/or conditions provided at the time of short-term separation must be met, and the student must demonstrate learning while they have been away. Please refer to the Non-Academic Leave procedure for more information.

Outcomes listed above will be subject to and in accordance with the University of Guelph’s Policy on Non-Academic Misconduct, in conjunction with the Academic Calendar for all Guelph-Humber students and as such may vary or not be applicable. All outcomes in this section will be administered in conjunction with an Administrator representing the University of Guelph-Humber for Guelph-Humber students.

The CARE Team shares responsibility for supporting holistic student wellness and campus safety through collaborative decision making and assessment with resources and supports.

5. Process for Resolving Complaints

All complaints and potential violations of the Code shall be administered in accordance with the Community Standards Resolution and Appeal Procedure.